Plug and receptacle.



' H. A. S TODDARD. PLUG AND RECEPTACLE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16. 1914.

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- IN VEN TOR.

WITNESSES: 7km, Q j

[W A TTORNE Y H. A. STODDARD.

PLUG AND RECEPTACLE.

APPLICATION FILED MN. 16. 1914.

1 ,246,677 Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- IN EN TOR.

A TTORNE Y U ITED STATES PATENT orrrcu.

mar n. sronmnn, or rmmmnnrn m, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGLl'OB r cnnn'rnn mnc'rnrc comrm, A conroan'rron or rnmvsvnvamn- PLUG m nEoErrAcLE."

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, HART A. S'ronmnp, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Philadelphia, county pf Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvama,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plugs and Receptacles, and of which the following is a complete description. v q The object of the invention is to provide a receptacle comprising spaced resilient jaws, and a plug having a member adapted to enter said jaws, said jaws and plug being provided with cooperating meansfor removablylocking the latter in the former.

Another object is to provide sucha receptacle having a shoulder raised from the plane of the inner surface of one of said jaws, and a plug member adapted to be incess, said shoulder being adapted to engage the wallsof said recess to removably lock said member in place. 7

Another object is to provide a jaw memher having a locking device equally applicable to a plug member having a recess in either of its lateral surfaces or on an edge.

'A further object is to provide a receptacle contact member comprising a pair of resilient j aws'and a binding post or plate integrally connected thereto, though removed therefromfv A still further object is to provide a novel means for immovably securing the lugs,-to

which the face plate is connected, to the insulating receptacle block or base.

And another object is to provide 'plug contact member having a side provided 4 with a shoulder to frictionally engage a side of a resilient receptacle contact.

Numerous additional objects and advantages of the invention are clearly brought out in the following specification when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a front elevation ,of the iinproved receptacle with face plate attached; Fig. .2 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view of the same; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the improved plug; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the same; Fig. 4 is -a top plan view of the same; Fig. 4; is a perspective view of a combined receptacle contact member and binding post; Fig. 5 65 is a rear elevation of the receptacle; Fig. 6

serted between said jaws and having a re-' Speoifimifll of Letters Patent Patented Nov. 13, 1913. Application filed January 16, 1914. Serial No. 812,557. I

is a detailed view of the cooperation of the respective plug and receptacle contact members; Fig. 7 is a section of the same as indicated on Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a plan new of one form of plate-attaching lug and its means of support; Fig. 9 is a section on the line 99 of Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a plan view of another form of lug and its support; Fig. 11 is a section on the line 1111 of Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is a plan view ofa third form of lug and its support; Fig. 13 is a section on the line 1313 of Fig. 12; Fig. 14 is a fragmentary view showing the cooperation of the receptacle contact locking means cooperating with the locking means of a modified formrof plug contact; and Fig. 15 is a View of the member shown in Fig. 4 secured in position on the receptacle base block.

Referring to the drawings, theinvention in its preferred form comprises a base block 20 provided with a central raised or projecting portion 21 adapted to be inserted through the}. hole 22 in the face plate 23, and have its face flush with or extending be yond the outer side thereof. Said block is provided with two similar apertures 24, eX-

tending therethrough and enlarged to form J an L-shaped recess 25, while within said aperture and recess is secured a metallic contact member 26, L-shaped, as shown in Fig. 5 and provided upon one end with integral, parallel, resilient, U-shaped jaws 27 beveled at their outer'ends 28 and terminating a relatively short distance from or'flush with the face of said projection 21, said member being secured in place by a screw 29. From the other'end of said member a screw 30 passes through theblock and secures in place a post or plate 31, as well as forming an electrical connection therebetween, said plate in turn being provided with a binding screw 32 for securing there- 7 l blocks a novel'method is shown in each of the groups of Figs. 8 and 9, 10 and 11, and

. 12 and 13 in each case the result being that upon tightening the screw 45, the lug is secured firmly in such manner as to prevent arotation or oscillation upon the end of the screw, as often occurs in such cases where a flat lug is secured against a flat surface.

The form shown in Figs. 8, and 9 provides a lug having a central depressed portion- 4:6, the sides 4.7 of which are beveled to cooperate, as the sides of a wedge, with the beveled sides 48 of a recess 49 in the base block 20.

- The form shown in Figs. 10 and 11 on ,the

other hand provides "a lug having a central raised or embossed portion 50, the sides 51 of which are beveled to cooperate with the sides 52 of a raised portion 53 on said base block. In Figs. 12 and 13 the-lug is provided with a downwardly turned ange 55 at right angles to the line of symmetry of said lug and cooperating with a beveled surts inner end into an enlarged recess 62,

adapted to contain the lmotted portion of one or more wires passing therethrough, and L thence into a still larger recess 63, against the plane surface of which are secured contact members 64 by screws 65 or other suit- 7 able means, the .inner end of said members eing provided with binding screws 66 and up-turned lugs or shoulders 67 to aid in ifirmly securing a wire connection thereto.

- or lug upon the inner side thereof for The outer ends of said contact members are preferably turned, or curved slightly, so as to form a shoulder 68 as shown in Fig. 7, while farther up the shank thereof holes 69, counter-sunk from each side, are provided. Correspondingly, one of each air of resilient jaws 27 is indented from t e outside, or otherwise mutilated, to provide a shoulder cooperating with the walls of the countersunk recesses v69 on the plug blades, to lock 7 the latter temporarily in position when detion and lockin contacts being sired. Furthermore, said shoulders 70 are.v purposely positioned adjacent to one side of saidjaw members, to equall well look in position a' plu blade provide with a lateral notch ,71, as s own in Fig. 14:,the cooperag of the plug and receptacle s owninFigs.6and7.

A modifie form of combined receptacle well-known lug 79, at its angle, said member.

having atapped hole 80, or securing the former in place by the ordinary screw 29. In this form it. is necessary in assembling "the receptacles to insert the extensiono77 through a hole in the base block and then bend the end over. However, a more 'eflicient wa lies in providing the block 20 at diagona y opposite corners with a substantially rectangular recess 82, as shown in Fig. 15, in which case the member 7 5 is bent into its final shape'and then secured in position upon'the block 20 by the usual screw 29.

This construction in either its preferred or modified forms ermits' of a more shallow base block than is usually found on the market, while the projection 21 makes a neat, and substantially flush finish of said block with the surrounding portion of the face plate. And, by terminating the contacts below the surface, all danger of accidentally bridging them by a foreign object 1s obviated. Furthermore, many changes from the exact details shown and described can be made ithout departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim and desire Patent of the United States:

1. The combination of a one-piece receptacle baseblock, provided with an aperture opening toward the front thereof, a second aperture also opening toward the front thereof, and spaced from the first, and a groove or channel in the rearv exposed surface of said block connecting said apertures, with an integral electric conducting member struck from a single blank comprising a con-,

tact portion located in said first aperture, a portion provided with means for securing an electrical conductor thereto located in said second aperture, and a portion integrally connecting said other portions. and lying in said channel or'groove.

' 2. The combination of a one-piece receptacle base block, provided with an aperture extending through and opening toward the front thereof, a second aperture also extend ing through and opening toward the front to protect by Letters thereof and spaced from the first, and a groove or channel inthe rear outermost portion of said block'conn'ecting said apertures,

with an electric conducting member formed from a single blan'k and comprising a pair extending to a point adjacent to the front of said first aperture, a portion provided with means for securing an electrical conof integral contact portions located in and J 65 contact member and binding plate or post ductor thereto located in and extending to a point adjacent to the front of said second aperture, and a portion integrally connect- 'ing said other portions and lying within a plate-securing lug having a-transversely' central section of substantially the same shape and extent as said portion and having beveled side walls, and means to secure said block and lug together with the respective side walls of said portion and section in binding cooperation, to prevent oscillation of said lug upon said block.

4. The combination of a receptacle comprising a pair of oppositely disposed substantially parallel resilient contact members, one of which is provided with a projection adjacent to one side, and a'plug comprising a contact member, engageable between said first mentioned contact members and provided with a counter-sunk recess adjacent to one sideof said last-named member, said projection cooperating-with the walls of said recess, to removably lock said plug in said receptable, said plug contact member terminating in a shoulder adapted to frictionally gggage one of said resilient contact mem- 5. The combination. of a .receptacle comprising a pair of oppositely disposed substantially parallel resilient contact members, one of which is provided with a projection adjacent to one side, and a plug comprising a contact member, engageable between said first mentioned contact members and provided with a counter-sunk recess adjacent to one side of said last-named member, said projection cooperating with the walls of said recess, to removably lock said plug in said receptable, said plug contact member terminating in a shoulder adapted to frictionally engage one of said resilient contact members, and located on the side of said plug contact opposite to said receptacle projection.

6. The combination of a receptacle comprising a pair of oppositely disposed substantially parallel resilient contact members, one of which is provided with an offset, and a plug comprising a contact member, engageable between said first mentioned contact members and laterally directed at its -end to provide an ofiset or shoulder, operative to frictionally engage the other of said receptacle contact members, to removably lock said plug to said receptacle.

7. A receptacle base block comprising a portion thereof provided with oppositely slanting sides, a lug provided with oppositely slanting surfaces operative to' engage sa1d sides, and means .to secure said lug in binding relation to said portion to prevent a transverse movement of said lug with respect to said portion.

8. A receptacle base block comprising a portion thereof provided with oppositely slanting sides, an attaching lug provided with oppositely slanting surfaces operative to engage said sides, and means for securing said lug to said portion with a variable binding tension, to compensate for inaccuracies in either to prevent a transverse movement of one with respect to the other.

9. A receptacle base block comprising an integral portion thereof provided with diverging sides having a substantially equal degree of slant, an attaching lug "provided with diverging surfaces operative to engage said sides in wedged, binding relation, and means for securing said lug to said portion and against said surfaces with a variable tension, to compensate for inaccuracies in either, and operative to insure a substantially uniform engagement of said-surfaces with said sides.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set V my hand this 14th day of January, A. D., 1914:. I

HART A. STODDARD. Witnesses:

M. Won'rrr, Fnnnnmcx E. SWONE, Jr. 

